Earl of Berkshire

Earl of Berkshire is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. It was created for the first time in 1621 for Francis Norris, 1st Earl of Berkshire. For more information on this creation (which became extinct on his death in 1622), see the Earl of Abingdon and also the Earl of Lindsey. The second creation came in 1626 in favour of Thomas Howard, 1st Viscount Andover. He was the second son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, second son of the second marriage of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. His mother was Katherine, daughter of Sir Henry Knyvett of Charlton in Wiltshire. Howard had already been created Baron Howard of Charlton, in the County of Wiltshire, and Viscount Andover, in the County of Southampton, in 1622. These titles are also in the Peerage of England. Lord Berkshire succeeded to the Charlton estate through his mother in 1638. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He had already in 1640 been summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Howard of Charlton. He had no sons and on his death in 1679 the titles passed to his younger brother, the third Earl. He represented Wallingford in the House of Commons. He also died without male issue and was succeeded by his great-nephew, the fourth Earl. He was the grandson of the Hon. William Howard, fourth son of the first Earl. In 1745 he succeeded his third cousin as eleventh Earl of Suffolk. For further history of the titles, see the Earl of Suffolk.

Earldom of Berkshire held with Earldom of Suffolk
Arms of Howard Arms: Quarterly 1st Gules, on a Bend between six Crosses-Crosslet fitchée Argent, an Escutcheon Or, charged with a Demi-Lion rampant pierced through the mouth by an arrow within a Double Tressure flory counterflory of the first (for Howard); 2nd Gules, three Lions passant guardant in pale Or, armed and langued Azure, in chief a Label of three-points Argent (for Thomas of Brotherton); 3rd Chequy Or and Azure (for Warenne); 4th Gules, a Lion rampant Or, armed and langued Azure (for Fitzalan) the whole differenced at the fess-point with a Crescent Sable. Crest: On a Chapeau Gules, turned up Ermine, a Lion statant guardant tail extended Or, gorged with a Collar Argent, charged on the shoulder with a Crescent for difference. Supporters: On either side a Lion Argent, charged on the shoulder with a Crescent for difference.
Creation date	29 January 1621 (first creation) 7 February 1626 (second creation)
Created by	James VI and I (first creation) Charles I (second creation)
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	Francis Norris, 1st Earl of Berkshire
Present holder	Alexander Howard, 22nd Earl of Suffolk, 15th Earl of Berkshire
Heir apparent	Arthur Howard, Viscount Andover
Remainder to	Heirs male of the body, lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles	Viscount Andover Baron Howard of Charlton
Extinction date	29 January 1622 (first creation)
Seat(s)	Charlton Park
Motto	NOUS MAINTIENDRONS (We will maintain)

Earls of Berkshire, First Creation (1621)

• see the Earl of Abingdon and the Earl of Lindsey

Earls of Berkshire, Second Creation (1626)

Coat of arms of the 2nd to 4th Earls of Berkshire, before succeeding as Earl of Suffolk

• Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire (1590–1669)
• Charles Howard, 2nd Earl of Berkshire (1615–1679)
• Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Berkshire (1619–1706)
• Henry Bowes Howard, 4th Earl of Berkshire (1687–1757) (succeeded as Earl of Suffolk in 1745)

see Earl of Suffolk for further succession

Family tree of the Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes of Suffolk and the Earls of Bindon and Berkshire

Earl of Norfolk (1st creation), before 1069 Ralph the Staller (c. 1011–1068) 1st Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk, or of the East Angles, ?–1068 Ralph de Gael (c. 1040 – c. 1096) 2nd Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk, or of the East Angles, 1068–1074 Earldom of Norfolk and Suffolk, or of the East Angles (1st creation) extinct, 1382 Earl of suffolk (2nd creation), 1337 Robert Ufford (1298–1369) 1st Earl of Suffolk, 1337–1369 Earl of Suffolk (3rd creation), 1385 Michael de la Pole (1330–1389) 1st Earl of Suffolk, 1385–1388 William Ufford (1330–1382) 2nd Earl of Suffolk, 1369–1382 Earldom of Suffolk (2nd creation) extinct, 1382 Thomas de Mowbray Duke of Norfolk Michael de la Pole (1367–1415) 2nd Earl of Suffolk, 1398–1399, 1399–1415 Marquess of Suffolk, 1444 Earl of Pembroke (6th creation), 1447 Duke of Suffolk (1st creation) 1448 Robert Howard (1385–1436) Margaret de Mowbray (c. 1388–1459) Elizabeth Mowbray Michael de la Pole (1394–1415) 3rd Earl of Suffolk, 1415 William de la Pole (1396–1450) 4th Earl of Suffolk, 1415–1450 1st Marquess of Suffolk, 1444–1450 Earl of Pembroke, 1447–1450 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1448–1450 Earldom (3rd creation), Marquessate, and Dukedom (1st creation) of Suffolk and Earldom of Pembroke (6th creation) forfeit, 1450 John Howard (1425–1485) Duke of Norfolk Cecily Neville Richard Plantagenet Duke of York Earldom (3rd creation), Marquessate, and Dukedom (1st creation) of Suffolk restored, 1463 Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk Richard III Duke of Gloucester King of England Edward IV King of England Elizabeth Plantagenet John de la Pole (1442–1492) 2nd Duke of Suffolk, 2nd Marquess of Suffolk, 5th Earl of Suffolk, 1463–1492 Elizabeth Boleyn (c. 1480–1538) Countess of Wiltshire Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk Lord Edmund Howard Elizabeth of York Henry VII King of England Edmund de la Pole (1472–1513) 3rd Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Suffolk, 1492–1493 6th Earl of Suffolk, 1492–1504 Marquessate and Dukedom (1st creation) of Suffolk surrendered, 1493 Earldom of Suffolk (3rd creation) forfeit, 1504 Marquess of Pembroke, 1532 Duke of Suffolk (2nd creation), 1514 Anne Boleyn (c. 1501 or 1507–1536) Marquess of Pembroke 1532–1536 Henry VIII King of England Mary Tudor Queen of France Charles Brandon (1484–1545) 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1514–1545 Marquessate of Pembroke forfeit, 1536 Duke of Suffolk (3rd creation), 1551 Henry Howard Earl of Surrey Catherine Howard (c. 1524–1542) Henry Grey (1517–1554) 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1551–1554 3rd Marquess of Dorset Frances Grey Dukedom of Suffolk (3rd creation) forfeit, 1554 Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk Jane Grey Disputed Queen of England Henry Brandon (1535–1551) 2nd Duke of Suffolk, 1545–1551 Charles Brandon (1537–1551) 3rd Duke of Suffolk, 1551 Dukedom of Suffolk (2nd creation) extinct, 1551 see Dukes of Norfolk family tree Earl of Suffolk (4th creation), 1603 Thomas Howard (1561–1626) 1st Earl of Suffolk, 1603–1626 Earl of Berkshire (2nd creation), 1626 Theophilus Howard (1584–1640) 2nd Earl of Suffolk, 1626–1640 Thomas Howard 1st Earl of Berkshire James Howard (c. 1620–1689) 3rd Earl of Suffolk, 1640–1689 George Howard (1625–1691) 4th Earl of Suffolk, 1689–1691 Henry Howard (1627–1709) 5th Earl of Suffolk, 1691–1709 Charles Howard (1615–1679) 2nd Earl of Berkshire Thomas Howard (1619–1706) 3rd Earl of Berkshire William Howard Philip Howard (1629–1717) Earl of Bindon, 1706 Henry Howard (1670–1718) 1st Earl of Bindon, 1706–1718 6th Earl of Suffolk, 1709–1718 Edward Howard (1672–1731) 8th Earl of Suffolk, 1722–1731 Charles Howard (1685–1733) 9th Earl of Suffolk, 1731–1733 Craven Howard Dorothy Howard Capt. Charles Howard Charles Howard (1693–1722) 2nd Earl of Bindon, 7th Earl of Suffolk, 1718–1722 Henry Howard (1706–1745) 10th Earl of Suffolk, 1733–1745 Henry Bowes Howard (1686–1757) 4th Earl of Berkshire, 1706–1757 11th Earl of Suffolk, 1745–1757 Catherine Graham Capt. Philip Howard Earldom of Bindon extinct, 1722 Henry Howard (1739–1779) 12th Earl of Suffolk, 5th Earl of Berkshire, 1757–1779 Thomas Howard (1721–1783) 14th Earl of Suffolk, 7th Earl of Berkshire, 1779–1783 John Howard (1739–1820) 15th Earl of Suffolk, 8th Earl of Berkshire, 1783–1820 Henry Howard (1779–1779) 13th Earl of Suffolk, 6th Earl of Berkshire, 1779–1779 Thomas Howard (1776–1851) 16th Earl of Suffolk, 9th Earl of Berkshire, 1820–1851 Charles Howard (1804–1876) 17th Earl of Suffolk, 10th Earl of Berkshire, 1851–1876 Henry Howard (1833–1898) 18th Earl of Suffolk, 11th Earl of Berkshire, 1876–1898 Henry Howard (1877–1917) 19th Earl of Suffolk, 12th Earl of Berkshire, 1898–1917 Charles Howard (1906–1941) 20th Earl of Suffolk, 13th Earl of Berkshire, 1917–1941 Michael Howard (1935–2022) 21st Earl of Suffolk, 14th Earl of Berkshire, 1941–2022 Alexander Howard (b. 1974) 22nd Earl of Suffolk, 15th Earl of Berkshire, from 2022 Arthur Howard (b. 2014)

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,